1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to cooking utensil supports and, more particularly, to devices for supporting spoons or the like over an adjacent area such as a sink.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An ever prevalent problem for those engaged in the culinary arts is the avoidance of drippings from the culinary implements during the periods of preparation of cuisine. Normally, during the preparation of foods, drippings from the implements and utensils employed usually are caused to collect on counter tops adjacent the mixing or cooking containers. The result, in addition to affecting the sanitary environment, is unsightly, and may produce permanent stains on the counter top material and, in certain instances, on adjacent floor covering.
The above, as well as other attendant problems, have plagued the culinary art field for a considerable length of time. Many attempts have been made to solve the problem with varying results. The efforts at solving the problems are manifested in U.S. Pat. No. 1,661,787 entitled "SPOON TRAY", A. R. Chisholm; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,664,005 entitled "CULINARY UTENSIL HOLDER", F. E. Kosinski. Theses patents disclose tray-type structures for holding culinary utensils during periods of non-use between various discrete steps in the cooking operations. In each instance, the individual structures embody integral trays having bottoms portions configured in such a fashion to enable drippings emanating from the utensil being held to collect therein. When the cooking operation has been completed, or alternatively, when the utensil is no longer needed, the holding structures of the patents are exposed to a separate cleaning operation.
Other attempts at solving the problems are illustrated by the U.S. Pat. No. 2,371,537 entitled "SPOON HOLDER", N. Mangini. The patent shows a typical structure used to releasably interconnect a spoon, for example, to the handle of a cooking pan. Any drippings remaining on the spoon after its use in stirring the contents of the cooking pan are caused to return to the contents from whence they emanated.
While, the above, and many other structures have been developed to solve the "drippings problem", all seem to have necessitated separate cleaning operations, or require components which must be attached to the cooking containers and are typically cumbersome and annoying during later cooking steps involving transport, covering with appropriate lids, pouring, or the like.